Word — It’s What’s For Dinner

September 20, 2010 | 32 comments

I spread gold-edged pages open on the kitchen counter, this place where we slice tomatoes and marinate chicken and pour milk over breakfast cereal.

I devour words. And this is the best meal I’ve had in a long time. Today even a second-helping isn’t enough. The plate never empties.

There is more; there is more. Always.

I’ve had this meal of words before, but I hunch over top like it’s first time I’ve ever tasted words about the Word.

“In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.”
— John 1:1

These words slice me through, marinate on the inside, pour over me.

And I’m smitten with the One who crafted these lines,
fulfilled these lines,
was and
IS these very lines.

The Word was God.

God = The Word.
Jesus = The Word.

What am I tasting here? What is this?

Why is He called the Word?

I call my favorite farmer to the kitchen, for he’s dined on these words plenty. I ask him the question, but he answers me with another question: What do you think?

I consider reading the study notes, but that would be like asking for the recipe. I want to test my palate, want to talk it over with the Cook. Want to savor every bite.

I light a candle, and in shimmering light, something flames up in me, too. The Word is living and active, and I want to plumb its depths. It’s more than rhema, words spoken. This is logos, the reasoning behind the rhema.

The God-Man — who is named Word — stands behind His words. He is the reasoning behind the rhema. You cannot separate words from the Word.

I grab a pencil, and a scrap of paper. I will draw my way toward answers. A friend, Monica, once wrote that drawing is a Bible-reading tool.

I doodle, scrawl left-handed, swirl sloppy loops and letters and names. I write words, all Jesus words.

With every pencil stroke, I taste His word. Because you can’t separate the God-man from the Logos — λόγος. With words, God spoke all Creation into being — and then wrote His Son into the story.

The Word became flesh …

Word became man, with tear-ducts and fingertips and wisdom teeth and sinews and DNA and fingerprints and elbows that could skin, and tonsils that could swell. He became man with shoulders broad enough to carry a cross up a hill.

Logos became a person, and I press lead to paper imagining how He came to be — and why He’d ever want to exchange Heaven for this place.

I shake my head, awed and grateful. I write more words: Yeshua. Savior. Sustainer. Perfect Sacrifice. Bread of Life. Is there no end to who He is?

Word, who was in the beginning, swirled through the cosmos down to Earth. And somewhere on Earth a mama whispers a word: “Emmanuel.”

I write more words, all the words I can think of, and still it’s not enough. There just aren’t enough words …

These ancient words? They are more than letters dropped on pages. These words are a Person.

“The Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us.
We have seen his glory,
the glory of the One and Only,
who came from the Father,
full of grace and truth.”
— John 1:14

Submitted as part of L.L. Barkat’s “On, In and Around Mondays” series at Seedlings in Stone.

by | September 20, 2010 | 32 comments

32 Comments

  1. Sandra Heska King

    GASP!

    Reply
  2. Deidra

    So cool!

    Reply
  3. LisaShaw

    My heart is blessed…my tears reflect it as I read your sharing here.

    The WORD, the WORD, the WORD — my Jesus, our Jesus. Amazing!!!

    Love and blessings dear friend!

    Reply
  4. Laura

    Jennifer, this is gorgeous. And you know what? I just found part of my answer to how to make our Message concrete. Tearducts and fingertips and wisdom teeth…He is a person. I feel Him in your reasoning behind the rhema.

    Also…I couldn't help noticing that your candle had the word "hope" on it. I'm holding on to all these little signs today…love letters from Him.

    Reply
  5. Runner Mom

    Wow! It's not often that a post leaves me speechless, but this one did! Mercy! Jennifer, I'm going to go back and reread these beautiful words. Thank you, sweet friend!
    Hugs!
    susan

    Reply
  6. Stephani

    This is a wonderful post! Yesterday in church our lesson was about logos/rhema! He told us that Logos is the written word and that rhema is the living word. The written word is the fulcrum and becomes living word in our lives when the lever of prayer is applied to it. When we spend time in his written word or logos and hide it in our hearts, then it becomes living word and applicable to us in any given situation. Anyway, Maybe God is trying to tell me something since this has cofronted me two days in a row! 🙂

    Reply
  7. Michelle

    What an awesome post. Thanks!!

    Reply
  8. RCUBEs

    "Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!" – Psalm 34:8

    Amen! The foundation of all truth!!! And as we soak it all in, may our faith and confidence in the Lord keep growing! God bless.

    Reply
  9. S. Etole

    awesome …

    Reply
  10. Linda

    What a perfect word picture Jennifer. I am overwhelmed by the limitless wonder of who He is. We are learning a new song in choir – "I Am" It is a whole song filled with all the names that He is. It is simply breathtaking.
    You have done wonders with your words too – shining a light on the everlasting words.

    Reply
  11. Ann Kroeker

    "You cannot separate words from the Word."

    I think this is one reason I love the book of John so much…for his launching the written account of the Good News with the Word.

    He loves words.

    He loves THE Word.

    And he shared the Word with us, through words.

    As did you.

    Thank you.

    (annkroeker.com)

    Reply
  12. Lyla Lindquist

    Didn't realize it was going to be this good. Would love to have been sharing some space at your kitchen counter for this one.

    Reply
  13. thewritelife2

    Wonderful!

    Oddly enough, while I was trying to "save" my future husband, God used my husband–an unbeliever–to save me. We were both baptized together a few months before we married. His enthusaism for the Word ignited my enthusaism and made the old stories come alive. That fervor hasn't died. Something happens when you spend time in His Word. It makes the day better.

    Reply
  14. L.L. Barkat

    this is so, so cool (sorry Deidra, for stealing your words, but they were just the thing 🙂

    Reply
  15. Amy Sullivan

    Jennifer,
    I love this idea and want to try it. What an amazing way of making Him even more real.

    Reply
  16. A Simple Country Girl

    Jennifer,
    I was going to say "this needs to be hung" (as in on the wall), but He already was. For you. For me. On a tree in Calvary. My land girl, put this in a frame and set it upon your table…

    Blessings.

    Reply
  17. * ButterflyChik*

    Hey Hey,
    I stumbled over your blog today and I just had to tell you I'm enjoying your blog. Your awesome. I became a follower and I'm looking forward to keeping up and leaving comments. I hope you will check out my blog, and become a follower. I have a button, and I'd like to add you to my blog roll. I hope you have a lovely weekend. God Bless You and Yours

    http://diaryofhappilyeverafter.blogspot.com/

    Love,
    Jess Hey Hey,
    I stumbled over your blog today and I just had to tell you I'm enjoying your blog. Your awesome. I became a follower and I'm looking forward to keeping up and leaving comments. I hope you will check out my blog, and become a follower. I have a button, and I'd like to add you to my blog roll. I hope you have a lovely weekend. God Bless You and Yours

    http://diaryofhappilyeverafter.blogspot.com/

    Love,
    Jess

    Reply
  18. contented sparrow

    just beautiful, jennifer….

    Reply
  19. Sara

    So beautiful!! Your passion for God both moves and inspires me. Thank you so much for sharing your amazing gift for words, and the Word, with others.

    Reply
  20. Monica Sharman

    Jennifer, oh…
    I pull up a chair, and I feast, too.
    And it never would have happened if you hadn't put lead to paper. Thank you for showing us this. So wonderful. Also, there's something about seeing your penmanship, the lead left there by your hand. (Some of my favorite people are left-handed!)
    Thank you, too, for the other gift, for whenever you use that word on me ("friend"), it strikes deep and makes my day. I needed that friend-word. Thank you, (((friend))).

    Reply
  21. Steph

    Jennifer, this is very cool – thank you for being a tool of the Lord!

    Reply
  22. Graceful

    That picture is so cool — you are wordsmith and artist in one! God inspired!

    Reply
  23. Jennifer @ Getting Down With Jesus

    Friends, What a joy to see you in this place. Your words in the comment box inspire me to be a better me. I thank you, as always, for sharing, for encouraging, for opening up, for being real.

    I had one friend (you know who you are!) email me privately about my artwork. She asked if the God-Word man was unraveling or being woven together. I just had to laugh out loud hysterically!

    Indeed, it looks like somebody snagged the thread and started tugging and tugging! I am NOT an artist, for sure. 🙂 … For clarification: The picture is the Logos-Man being put together — word by word.

    But as for me? I think I'm often a bit unraveled, constantly in need of repair.

    God's blessings to you all. Thanks for being a part of the conversation.

    Reply
  24. Charity Singleton

    This drawing of yours reminds me of Jesus writing, drawing words and pictures in the dirt, waiting for Pharisees with stones in their hands to walk away from a frightened woman.

    This Word changes things, doesn't he?

    Reply
  25. Anne Lang Bundy

    Oh, Jennifer! How I LOVE every single bit of this. I know only that after 23 years of reading the Bible as a mere book, it was love at first sight when I met The Word. Before I came to love those opening verses of John's Gospel, my soul recognized Him.

    And I'm smitten with the One who crafted these lines,
    fulfilled these lines,
    was and
    IS these very lines.

    OH yeah! 😀

    Reply
  26. Chris Godfredsen

    Psalm 1 and Revelation 10 come to mind for me…His delight is on the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night, says Psalm 1. Rev. 10 talks about eating this book on which you dined today!

    God bless you for sharing and pointing others toward a feast of Word!

    Reply
  27. Chris Godfredsen

    Psalm 1 and Revelation 10 come to mind for me…His delight is on the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night, says Psalm 1. Rev. 10 talks about eating this book on which you dined today!

    God bless you for sharing and pointing others toward a feast of Word!

    Reply
  28. Natalie

    Whoa, now that's cool! You are so creative!

    Reply
  29. Jennifer

    Just too fabulous.

    Reply
  30. Amy

    Wow! I just found this and am so thankful I did. Is there a way to get a .pdf or something of that wonderful 'word' creation of yours??

    Amy

    Reply
  31. thesavingmomparents

    I am a bit behind on my blog reading, so I have just now discovered this post. WOW! So beautiful, so perfect. When I saw it I knew that it is destined to become something I make with my son as we are learning about Jesus. It will be great to see him see these WORDS come alive. Thank-you! ~Jessica

    Reply
  32. Diana Trautwein

    Holy c**p – how did I ever miss this one. Well, that’s easy. I wasn’t reading blogs in 2010. Thank goodness our dear Laura B keeps records of such miraculous things. THIS IS STUPENDOUS. And really cool, too. And the comments are fab. What a treasure to discover on a Monday morning. Thank you, thank you.

    Reply

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